As Zhuang Rui was pondering the pros and cons of this method of gambling on rough stones, Yang Hao spoke up, "Brother Zhuang, I've brought quite a few good rough stones this time. Besides the sealed bids, there are also several pieces that performed very well in the open bids. How about buying one and cutting it open?"
Chapter 190 Dried Green Seedlings
"Okay, I'll take a look first. Third brother, you and sister-in-law should take a look too. If you see anything you like, as long as it's cheap, you can buy it and cut it up for fun. If you're lucky, you might even make a profit."
Zhuang Rui stood up and said to the third brother beside him, "As for Zhou Rui, he has no interest in gambling on stones. The sun is blazing outside, so it's better to sit in the shed and cool off."
"White Lion, go inside and wait for me..."
When Zhuang Rui came out of the shed, he saw that Bai Shi had also come out. He quickly gave instructions, because he was afraid that Bai Shi would disturb the customers at Yang Hao's stall. As they walked along the way, almost everyone on the road had hurriedly moved aside to make way for Zhuang Rui and the others after seeing Bai Shi's big figure.
The third brother and Zhang Rong, a married couple, were seeing so many jadeite rough stones for the first time. Although not every stone might contain jadeite, there was no guarantee that a valuable piece of jadeite might be found inside. Yesterday, the third brother and he had brushed up on their knowledge of jadeite rough stones. Now, ignoring the scorching sun overhead, they crawled into the pile of stones and started rummaging through them.
Zhuang Rui was also quite excited. This was a big event! Listening to the shouts and bargaining around him, it felt as lively as a vegetable market. The unique charm of this ancient and primitive way of trading made Zhuang Rui feel incredibly excited and thrilled.
When looking at stones during the day, a flashlight is unnecessary, but a magnifying glass is still needed because some rough stones have very small cracks, some even as thin as a hair, which are difficult to spot without a magnifying glass. Moreover, the magnifying glass that Zhuang Rui brought this time was different from the previous ones; it was a black-framed magnifying glass with a copper handle, about the size of an adult's palm.
"Brother Zhuang, the jade I brought this time was all obtained from the Bai Bi mine in Myanmar through connections. They are all top-quality pieces."
Yang Hao naturally knew who the big customers were, and he didn't bother with the third couple who had entered the wool area first. Instead, he followed closely behind Zhuang Rui.
"Old mine seed from Baibi Factory?"
Upon hearing this, Zhuang Rui carefully examined the rough stones on the ground. Most of these stones had a grayish-yellow outer skin and were quite rough. Zhuang Rui picked up a stone weighing more than ten kilograms and rubbed it with his palm. It felt rough and prickly to the touch. Moreover, these stones were quite large, somewhat similar to the rough stones produced by Baibi Factory.
Since inspecting the goods at Boss Yu's house that day, Zhuang Rui has humbly sought knowledge from Master Peng about the Burmese jadeite mines. He knows that Bai Bi Factory is an old mine with a history of two or three hundred years, famous for producing blue-flowered jadeite, and occasionally it will unearth some extremely high-grade bright green-flowered jadeite.
"It's true that it's old mine material from Baibi Factory, but boss, the quality of these rough stones you've clearly marked is really poor, isn't it?"
As Zhuang Rui was examining the rough jade in his hand, a voice rang out beside him. Zhuang Rui looked in the direction of the voice and saw a thin, middle-aged man wearing glasses squatting on the ground, looking at a very large piece of rough jade and shaking his head repeatedly.
There were already seven or eight people looking at the rough stones at Yang Hao's stall, and they all gathered around after hearing this. They weren't just there for the fun of it; they were simply learning a lot from listening to others' opinions on rough stones at this national jade gambling conference.
Seeing that he was surrounded by people, the middle-aged man wearing glasses was a little smug. He pointed to the rough stone at his feet, which weighed about one or two hundred kilograms, and said, "It is true that Baibi Factory produces large pieces of jade, but look at this rough stone. There is a big crack in the middle. If you continue to cut it, we can also see something. But if you stop cutting at the crack and there is no green jade, then all the risks are on us."
Zhuang Rui squatted down and examined the rough stone. It was a completely gambled rough stone with a grayish-yellow outer skin. However, in the middle of the rough stone, there was a crack about the size of a small finger. Even with the crack facing the sunlight, it was impossible to see any green inside.
However, the surface of this rough jade is covered with sparse, dotted pine flowers, which makes it difficult to see through. Usually, green will appear under the pine flowers. If these greens can be connected, it would be good. But the cracks are really alarming. The gamble is too big. One cut will either turn it into waste or make a huge profit. Presumably, Yang Hao will not set a low price for it.
"Gentlemen, we're in the raw jade business. These stones are naturally like this; no one can say for sure whether there will be jade inside. It's a gamble, but the profits are also high."
Seeing the crowd discussing this, Yang Hao quickly spoke up to explain.
"Brother Yang, how much do you want for this rough jade?"
Zhuang Rui stood up and asked Yang Hao. The people around him also perked up their ears. There were quite a few people looking at the raw materials, but so far, Zhuang Rui was the only one at Yang Hao's stall asking about the price.
"Eight hundred thousand. The outer skin of this rough stone is quite good. As everyone knows, the pine flower pattern is the manifestation of the jade meat on the surface of the rough stone. If it weren't for this crack, this piece of rough stone would definitely have been designated as a closed bid."
Yang Hao is right. High-risk, high-reward rough stones mean both high potential returns. Judging from the appearance of this rough stone's outer skin, if green can be cut out from the cracks, the price will be huge. For a rough stone weighing one or two hundred kilograms, as long as a palm-sized piece of jadeite with good texture and clarity can be found, it's a sure thing. However, it's also possible that the cracks will destroy the inner structure of the rough stone, turning it into a piece of waste.
"Eight hundred thousand?"
Zhuang Rui remained silent, pondering. He had already used his spiritual energy to examine the internal structure of the rough stone. It did indeed contain jadeite, but it wasn't formed from the crack. Nor was it on the back of the pine flower pattern; rather, it was in the upper right corner of the rough stone, where a continuous piece of jadeite appeared. The color was a deep, pleasing green, pure and unblemished. Although the transparency was slightly lacking, the quality should be comparable to dry green jadeite, and the piece was quite large. Some white cotton-like inclusions divided it into two pieces, which together were about the size of a football.
Beneath the pine flowers, a few green shoots also appeared, but they didn't form a continuous patch and weren't of much value.
Zhuang Rui considered it in his mind. Although the quality of dry green jadeite was not very high, it was still mid-range jadeite. It could be carved into jade pendants, bracelets, and some playthings. These were the main types of jewelry in jade shops and were quite popular. If he bought it for 800,000 yuan, he should be able to sell it for around 1.5 million to 2 million yuan.
"Want to bet or not?"
Zhuang Rui hesitated. To be honest, he didn't think much of this rough stone, and he didn't know if anyone would offer to buy it after he cut it open. If no one bought it, then he would have 800,000 yuan sitting in his hands.
“Youngest brother, 800,000 is no small amount. Even if there is jade, it is still uncertain whether it is worth 800,000.”
The third brother came over and saw that Zhuang Rui seemed to want to buy it, so he couldn't help but try to dissuade him. In the third brother's mind, he was similar to Zhuang Rui a few months ago, whose knowledge of jade was limited to the pendants sold in ordinary shopping malls for tens or hundreds of yuan each.
"Third Brother, fortune favors the bold. I'm betting that there'll be green underneath this pine flower pattern. Brother Yang, I'll take this rough stone. Let's go transfer the money."
The third brother's words actually made Zhuang Rui more determined. Even a small mosquito is still meat. Even if it can only be sold for 1 million after being cut open, he will still make a profit.
Yang Hao's face lit up with joy upon hearing this, and he was about to reply when the middle-aged man beside him interrupted, saying, "Young man, I was the one who saw this rough stone first, you..."
Yang Hao chimed in, "This piece of jade is open for bidding; everyone can make an offer."
His meaning was clear: if you wanted to buy it, you could make an offer, but it would definitely have to be higher than 800,000. Competition was exactly what Yang Hao wanted to see.
"Wait... let me take another look."
The middle-aged man had just said that the rough stone wasn't looking good, which seemed to indicate he was planning to negotiate the price. Now that Zhuang Rui wanted to buy it, he hesitated a bit. He squatted down and looked at the pine flower pattern again. After three or four minutes, he stood up and said to Yang Hao, "This rough stone is too risky. I'll only offer 850,000 at most. If you want it, young man, you can take it for more than that price."
As soon as the middle-aged man said this, all eyes of the onlookers turned to Zhuang Rui. The third brother kept nudging Zhuang Rui from behind, telling him not to buy it. Zhuang Rui hadn't expected someone to drive up the price. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "What this brother said is right. This stone is a bit too risky. I originally only wanted to bet 800,000. Since you've offered 850,000, then I won't take it."
If the jade inside this stone were glassy or icy, Zhuang Rui would dare to bid 1.7 million, let alone 850,000. But since it's dry green jade, Zhuang Rui really didn't know how much it was worth. He wasn't sure, so he didn't bid any further.
"Zhuang Rui, you really scared me! You spent 800,000 on a piece of junk? You're really rich now."
Seeing that Zhuang Rui didn't bid again, Zhang Rong, who was standing next to the third brother, breathed a sigh of relief. Zhuang Rui couldn't help but find it a little funny. The two of them seemed to be even more nervous than he was. But then he thought about it again. Just a few months ago, hadn't he had the same thought?
Yang Hao was somewhat disappointed. He had been hoping that Zhuang Rui would raise the price a bit more, but he didn't expect Zhuang Rui to actually refuse. However, he was still very grateful to Zhuang Rui. If Zhuang Rui hadn't made the first offer, he didn't know if the middle-aged man would have bought it. Even if he had, he probably would have lowered the price.
This Pingzhou jade trade fair also received strong support from various banks. There were card payment points set up by banks every few shops. If the transaction amount was relatively large, both the buyer and seller could go there to transfer money. At this moment, Yang Jun was watching the stall, while Yang Hao accompanied the middle-aged man to transfer money.
Not long after, the two returned to their stall. Yang Hao pointed to the rough stone and said to the middle-aged man, "Sir, would you like to have it cut on the spot, or would you like someone to help you with the shipping procedures? If you want it cut, we have a full set of tools."
"Let's unravel this on the spot..."
The middle-aged man didn't seem to be in the jade business; he seemed more like a professional jade gambler. The crowd that had been watching the spectacle hadn't dispersed yet, and upon hearing that someone wanted to have a stone cut, they all gathered around.
Chapter 191 The Crazy Stone (1)
Someone shouted that they were going to cut stones here. Suddenly, hundreds of people swarmed around Yang Hao's stall, completely surrounding it. People were still desperately trying to squeeze in from behind. If the event security guards hadn't arrived in time, Yang Hao's stall probably would have collapsed from the crush.
The third brother, Zhang Rong, and his wife were originally on the innermost layer along with Zhuang Rui. They were almost squeezed out just now. No one respects the elderly or cares for the young these days. If the third brother and Zhuang Rui hadn't been strong enough, they probably would have been squeezed into some corner long ago.
"Sir, would you like to wipe it first, or cut it directly?"
Seeing that the situation was under control, Yang Hao wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and turned to ask the middle-aged man.
"Boss, you have to help me move the stones over there..."
The middle-aged man answered.
"That's...that's..."
After hearing the middle-aged man's reply, Yang Hao called his younger brother, and the three of them moved the nearly 200-pound rough stone to the cutting machine to watch the middle-aged man's actions. It seemed he was going to cut it directly. And indeed, gambling on cracks is about whether there will be green underneath; rubbing the stone doesn't make much sense.
"Zhuang Rui, is it true that jadeite is taken from these stones?"
Seeing the enthusiastic crowd around her, Zhang Rong leaned against the third brother and asked Zhuang Rui. She was a little incredulous that such exquisite and translucent jade could actually be extracted from these ugly-looking stones.
"Of course, you'll find out soon enough. This jade gambling is very addictive. You'll have to keep a close eye on your husbands from now on."
Zhuang Rui replied with a smile that he knew this rough stone would yield jadeite, and the middle-aged man had probably made a profit by buying it for 850,000 yuan.
The stone-cutting machine was right next to the stall. While Zhuang Rui and Zhang Rong were talking, the three of them were basically ready.
After placing the rough stone on the stone-cutting machine, Yang Hao wiped his sweat and asked the middle-aged man, "Boss, are you planning to cut it yourself, or do you want to find a master craftsman?"
At this jade auction, there were many experienced stone cutters who specialize in cutting or polishing stones for clients. These masters are very experienced and have excellent control over the force of their cuts. They can stop cutting in time after the green color appears, avoiding damage to the jade inside. Hiring them to cut your stones will only cost a small amount of money.
"No need, I can do it myself. When I'm cutting it, could you pour some water on it for me?"
The middle-aged man waved his hand, indicating that he would operate the machine himself. He seemed to be an experienced stone gambler. After instructing Yang Hao to align the cut surface of the stone with the crack, the middle-aged man walked to the stone cutting machine.
The once noisy stalls suddenly fell silent, with only some noise coming from the stalls in the distance. But around this stall, the people watching the stone cutting held their breath, their eyes fixed on the rough stone under the stone cutting machine.
"Youngest brother, why am I feeling a little nervous? This stone isn't even mine..."
The third brother's voice drew several disgruntled glances, as if the middle-aged man's failure to cut the stone was entirely his fault. In fact, the onlookers all felt the same way; it was like playing poker—before a high-stakes game was revealed, both spectators and participants couldn't help but feel tense.
"Third Brother, that's the allure of jade gambling. One cut could turn a stone into something worth millions, or it could become worthless. It's a game for the rich."
Zhuang Rui calmly explained to the third brother, unaware that he himself had already entered the gaming world.
While the group was talking, the middle-aged man continued to observe the cracks, his face full of tension. It seemed that 850,000 yuan was not a small amount for him. After about five minutes, the middle-aged man put his hand on the stone-cutting machine and finally prepared to cut the stone.
With the "snap-snap" sound of the saw gears rubbing against the stone, even though it was impossible to see what was happening inside from such a distance, the onlookers were still on tenterhooks, their eyes fixed on the spot where the saw teeth were cutting.
"Hiss..."
Suddenly, the middle-aged man lifted the saw teeth on the stone cutting machine. The idle saw teeth made a "hissing" sound, and everyone thought that the jade had been found, so the crowd immediately stirred.
"Water it..."
The middle-aged man gave an order, and Yang Hao, who was waiting nearby, quickly used a spray bottle to wash away the debris around the cut. The middle-aged man took a small brush and carefully removed the stone fragments from the cut. Then he squatted down and examined it carefully, but his expression was obviously not very good.
Zhuang Rui watched from the side, secretly amused. He tried to cut along the crack, but it would be a waste of time. Even if he split the rough stone in two, not a single trace of green would come out.
"It looks like it was cut off."
"Yes, the risk of a breakup is very high."
"Don't talk nonsense. The stone hasn't been cut open yet. Even a god wouldn't know if it will rise or fall. Maybe there's some green on the side."
Immediately, the crowd of onlookers began to discuss the matter. These people were jade merchants from all over the country, and they were very experienced in gambling on jade stones. They all offered their opinions, saying all sorts of things.
"Alright, stop arguing, we're starting to cut the stone again."
As the middle-aged man stood up, his expression very solemn, Zhuang Rui keenly noticed that the man's usually steady hands were now trembling slightly as he gripped the stone-cutting machine. Clearly, the man was not optimistic about the cut he had made and might already be regretting it.
Seemingly having made up his mind, the middle-aged man turned on the stone-cutting machine and didn't hesitate any longer. He applied force with his hand and cut directly down, and with a "snap snap" sound, the entire rough stone was split in two.
"well……"
A huge sigh emanated from the surrounding crowd. Clearly, no green jade was found on either side of the cut surface of the rough stone. Generally, when gambling on a cracked stone, the gamble is on how deep the crack is. If no jadeite is found where the crack goes, it's basically useless. This result indicates that the gamble on this stone has failed.
"Impossible, this is impossible! How could a rough stone with a mottled outer layer not have a single trace of green?"
The middle-aged man couldn't believe what he was seeing. He forgot to turn off the stone-cutting machine in his hand and kept muttering to himself. Behind his glasses, his eyes, looking at the rough stones on the ground, revealed nothing but disbelief.
"Eight hundred thousand just vanished like that?"
Not only the middle-aged people, but also the couple next to Zhuang Rui were stunned. That was 800,000 yuan! Even if they didn't eat or drink and earned their entire lives' wages, they wouldn't necessarily have that much. And in just a few minutes, it had vanished into thin air.
"The remaining materials can still be used for gambling..."
Zhuang Rui said in a low voice.
"Why would you gamble on it? There's no green even in the cracked area, it's just a piece of waste material, who would want to spend money to gamble on it?"